Ernst Says She Supports Hegseth ‘Through This Process’ Of Being Confirmed

 Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) said on Monday that she had a good conversation with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, as he continues to meet with Republican senators.

“I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process,” Ernst said after the meeting. “Following our encouraging conversations, Pete committed to completing a full audit of the Pentagon and selecting a senior official who will uphold the roles and value of our servicemen and women — based on quality and standards, not quotas — and who will prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks.”

“As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources,” she added.

Hegseth has faced scrutiny after a settlement surfaced last month involving a woman who alleged that he raped her several years ago in a hotel — an accusation that he vehemently denies.

He has faced other accusations of misconduct, which he also disputes.

Hegseth briefly spoke to reporters after the meeting, saying that their meeting was “very good.”

“The more we talk the more we’re reminded of as two combat veterans how dedicated we are to defense,” he said. “She has been dedicated to making the Pentagon work for warfighters for a long time.”

Trump said during an interview over the weekend that Hegseth did not care about risking his high-paying job in the media to serve in the U.S. government because he wanted to serve his country.

 

“I told him — so he’s making a lot of money at Fox, [his family is] doing very well,” Trump said. “And I said, ‘You know, if for some reason you don’t get this thing, you’re not going to be able to go back. And all that money you’re making, you can kiss it goodbye.’ He said, ‘This is all about America.’”

“You know he didn’t say, ‘Well, let me think about it. Let me discuss it,’” Trump continued. “That’s a very big, risky thing he’s doing. When he goes and he says, ‘I’m going to give up, you know, millions of dollars in order to possibly become the secretary of defense,’ a lot of people would say, it’s a great position, there’s probably almost no greater position, but a lot of people would say, ‘I have to think about it.’ He said, ‘I don’t have to think about it.’”